Hellenic College-Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology · Courses
OLDT
8 courses with the subject OLDT, each shown exactly as we captured it from the college's catalog, with every element we hold. Where the wording looks broken, that is our reading of the catalog, not the college's text.
OLDT 4001Introduction to the Old Testament3
This course surveys the literary, historical, and theological issues of the individual books of the Old Testament, including the Deuterocanonical books of the Septuagint. Attention is also given to the formation of the Canon and transmission of the text and the ancient versions, particularly the Septuagint. Course is cross-listed as OLDT 5001. 79
The Introduction to the study of the Old Testament is not, and cannot be, a substitute of the Old Testament, but rather a preparatory step, a reading guide, and a candid invitation to reading the Old Testament. The course is divided into two parts. The General Introduction deals with the Old Testament as history, literature, and part of the living tradition. The following topics are discussed in detail: unity in diversity of the Christian Bible, biblical text, biblical canon, and relationship between Scripture and Tradition. The Special Introduction survey the books of the Old Testament (including the anaginoskomena) and focuses on some theological themes rooted in the Pentateuch and running throughout the Old and New Testaments along with their interpretations within various hermeneutical contexts (Jewish, Christian, modern scholarship). The two themes discussed here are God and humanity.
This course is a thorough and rigorous introduction to biblical Hebrew following Lambdin, Introduction to Biblical Hebrew. The course aims at providing students a fundamental knowledge of the following: basic Hebrew vocabulary, grammar, reading and translation of basic sentences from the Hebrew Bible, use of lexica, dictionaries, and electronic programs.
The course focuses on selected texts of the Old Testament, based on the Hebrew (the Masoretic Text) and Septuagint versions. Special attention will be given to the ways these texts were interpreted at the time of their translation into Greek (the Septuagint), in the New Testament books, and during the golden age of patristic literature. In addition to these ancient interpretations, the main steps of modern biblical exegesis (e.g., textual criticism, rhetorical and canonical approach, etc.) will be discussed. 45
This course is designed to introduce the student to the fundamentals of the grammar of the Syriac language. This will be accomplished by working systematically through an introductory grammar. Class work will consist primarily of formal grammatical drills and simple reading passages from the Syriac Bible and early Syriac Literature. Emphasis will be placed on acquiring the vocabulary and the grammatical structure of the language, while some time (at the end of the year) will also be given to introducing the student to Syriac literature and culture.
This course is a historical, literary, and theological introduction to the Hebrew prophets designed to aid the students in understanding the biblical prophets and the forces that shaped their sayings. We will examine various dimensions of biblical prophecy including the nature of prophetic revelation, the stylistic forms of Hebrew prophecy and the theological, ethical, and social ramifications of prophetic message. While we will examine the overall context for prophecy in the ancient world, our predominate emphasis will be reading the biblical texts focusing on particular prophets in Israel and Judah in their specific contexts.
This advanced exegesis seminar is a detailed interpretation of the Book of Hosea. Emphasis falls on Hosea, chapters 1‐3, 6, 11, 12, 14, containing significant theological themes such as reconciliation, redemption, and God’s tender love. The methodology followed in this course is that used by Ecole biblique (Jerusalem) in their digital study Bible project B.E.S.T. (La Bible en ses traditions / The Bible in Its Traditions). The instructor of this seminar is a main contributor and team leader working on the Book of Hosea for this international and ecumenical project (more on B.E.S.T. at www.bibest.org).
Christ’s birth, life, crucifixion, and glorious resurrection were all prophesied centuries earlier in the Old Testament times. The prehistory of Christ in the Old Testament, as taught in patristic tradition, will be 46
